The Hindu                 28.12.2013

Community groups and SHGs to maintain parks

Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Council on Friday
decided to hand over maintenance of public parks in the city to
community groups and women self-help groups.

A
decision to this effect was taken at an urgent meeting of the council
with A. Jaya, Mayor, in the chair. Conceding the need to improve the
upkeep of the public parks in the city, an official resolution that was
approved by the council, said the infrastructure such as lights,
gardens, amusement equipment, and toilets have been lying in disuse in
many of the parks because of the absence of personnel to maintain them.

The
corporation now plans to identify community (comprising residents of
the respective areas) or self-help groups to maintain the parks.
Initially, the parks would be handed over to the groups for maintenance
for three years. The civic body would post watch and ward staff and
groups would be vested with the task of maintaining the parks, including
the gardens and other infrastructure. The corporation will not pay the
groups any salary.

However, they may be gradually
allowed to collect a user fee of Rs. 50 a month or Rs. 2 a person as
entry fee to the parks. The groups will be allowed to put up milk kiosks
through Aavin or other agencies.

The council approved a resolution to relocate all the 66 traders of the
Vazhakkai Mandi
functioning adjacent to Gandhi Market, to the Viragupettai Overhead
Drinking Water Tank complex, where the necessary infrastructure will be
developed.

Answering a query from M. Mohamed Mustafa
of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Corporation Commissioner V.P.
Thandapani said the OHT complex had adequate space to accommodate the
traders.

The council gave its nod for constructing a
new commercial complex by demolishing the diamond jubilee building, an
old toilet complex, a two-wheeler parking lot, and a few shops in front
of Gandhi Market as part of the civic body’s initiative to renovate and
redevelop the market.

However, the move was strongly
opposed by Syed Ibrahim (independent), who sought to know the fate of
the 200-odd traders currently at the diamond jubilee building and
wondered whether they would be allotted space at the new building or
given alternative sites. Corporation officials contended that no trader
had been allotted shops at the building and only platform shopkeepers
were allowed to carry on their business there on a
first-come-first-served basis every day.

Mr.
Thandapani said measures were aimed at relieving the congestion around
the market. However, alleging irregularities in the move, Mr. Ibrahim
staged a walkout from the meeting.